Beaumont Independent School District

Parents were notified Wednesday night, Feb. 21, that Beaumont Independent School District campuses would be participating in safety training on Thursday, Feb. 22, and Friday, Feb. 23.

“Please be advised that the district is conducting lockdown intruder drills on all secondary campuses on tomorrow and Friday,” BISD spokesperson Nakisha Burns advised. “The drills will be under the direction of the Beaumont ISD Police Department.”

It was business as usual. No long good-byes. No bidding adieu with endless platitudes. But the Beaumont ISD Board of Managers lost three members as Board President Jimmy Simmons and members Lenny Caballero and Jack Carroll served for the last time in their official capacity during the district’s Wednesday, July 19, monthly meeting.

“With great sorrow,” Manager Joe Domino moved to accept the three members’ resignation – and that was that.

Currently under indictment for alleged felonious business practices that resulted in millions of dollars in losses to taxpayers of both Beaumont and Port Arthur as the owner and operator of Walker’s Electric Company, former Beaumont Independent School District electrical contractor Calvin Walker filed to open up an electrical service business last month under a new assumed name.

Filed May 4, Walker is now the proud owner of the business name Hardwired Electrical Solutions, registered at 1520 Park St., Beaumont.

Even though he paid out three-quarters of a million dollars to the Beaumont Independent School District earlier this year to settle a civil lawsuit brought by his former employer, Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Gayle Botley was not making any concessions when he fought to keep his professional license this week in Austin.

One by one, they came before the Beaumont ISD Board of Managers time and time again to plead for reprieve, but residents of Bevil Oaks were ultimately rebuffed in their quest to secede from the district by a board vote cast Tuesday, May 16.

In addition to raising test scores, balancing a budget, giving raises, buying new buses and building a fund balance of over $20 million, those managing the Beaumont Independent School District are also anticipating a tax break to community stakeholders, whose property tax payments are largely forwarded to BISD.

According to Jefferson County Assistant District Attorney Cory Kneeland, a March 15 indictment on one count of third-degree felony theft has been dropped against Beaumont Independent School District special education teacher Alisa Boutte. Kneeland said the prosecuting agency came into information that caused the District Attorney’s Office to drop all charges the week of March 27.

Wednesday, March 21, the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office released the indictment handed up by a grand jury March 15 alleging Beaumont Independent School District special education teacher Alisa Boutte committed third-degree felony theft by taking money from the parents of students at Central High School while acting in an official capacity.

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